SB 

20! 



U. S. DEPAKT.MKN'I Ol-^ ACiRICULTURE. 
BUREAU OF PLANT INDUSTRY— BULLETIN NO. 11. 

K. T. GALLOWAY, Chief >ii Hurwiil 



JOHNSON GRASS: 



KEJ'OHI' OF INVESTIUATIONS .MADE DURING 
THE SEASON OF 1901. 



CARLETON H. IV\J.L. Assistant Acjkostoumjist. 

orass and forac-.e plant investigations. 




WASHINGTON: 

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE. 
1 it 2 . 



Mwwf^ 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, 

RECCIVED 

FEB 2 6 1902 

DIVISION OF DOCUMENTS. 



i o( Plant Industiy, U. S. Depl. of Agn 




Johnson Grass in Grass Garden on Grounds of United States 
Department of Agriculture. Washington, D. C. 



3^ 






U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
BUREAU OF PLANT INDUSTRY— BULLETIN NO. 11. 

B. r. GALLOWAY, Chief of Bureau. 



JOHNSON GRASS: 



REPORT OF INVESTIGATIONS MADE DURING 

THE SEASON OF 1901. 




CARLETON R. BALL, Assistant Agrostologist, 

I; 
GRASS AND FORAGE PLANT INVESTIGATIONS. 




WASHINGTON: 

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE. 

1902. 






LETTER OF TRANSMITfAL 



U. S. Department of Agriculture, 

Bureau of Plant Industry, 

Office of the Chief, 
Wmhington, D. 6'., November 23, 1901. 
Sir: 1 have the honor to transmit herewith a paper on Johnson 
Grass: Report of Investigations Made during the Season of 1901, by 
Carleton R. Ball, assistant agrostologist. Grass and Forage Plant 
Investigations, and I'ecommend that it be published as Bulletin No. 11 
of the Bureau series. 

Respectfully, B. T. Galloway, 

Chief of Bureau. 
Hon. James Wilson, 

Seo'etary of Agriculture. 



MAR 31 190O 
D. or a 



PREFACE. 



In June, 1901, Mr. C. R. Ball, assistant in the Office of the Ajrros- 
tologist, was authorized and directed to proceed, under instructions 
from the Agrostologist of the Department, to points in Alabama, Loui- 
siana, and Texas, for the purpose of making investigations concerning 
Johnson grass and to gather information for a report on this subject 
as required by law." He was instructed to carefully study such 
methods as had been or are being pursued to exterminate this grass 
and to consult with the commissioner of agriculture of the State of 
Texas and with others as to plans for destroying Johnson grass where 
it had become a pest. He was further instructed to make arrange- 
ments for carrying on experiments along pi-actical lines with the view 
of destroying the grass in an economical and effective manner. He 
was directed to examine carefully the laws of Texas relating to the 
subject in hand, to study the cjuestion of natural or artificial distribu- 
tion, and, in fact, all points having a bearing upon the question of the 
value, harmfulness, and methods for destruction of this grass. 

In regard to the means of eradication the whole field was carefully 
looked over and a piece of very badly infested land on the farm of 
Mr. John Parker, near the town of Taylor, Williamson County, Tex., 
was selected for the experiment. This selection was made under 
advisement with the Hon. Jefferson Johnson, State commissioner of 
agriculture and insurance, in cooperation with Prof. J. H. Connell, 
director of the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station. The results 
of the present season's investigations and experiments are presented 
in the report herewith submitted. 

F. Lamson-Scribnkr, 

Agrostologist. 

Office of the Agrostologist, 

Washington^ D. C, November 23, 1901. 

"House bill No. 121, Fifty-sixth Congress, first session, making appropriations for 
the Department of Agriculture. 

3 



1 

1 



4 



CONTENTS. 



Description - ' 

Origin and distribution - 7 

Dissemination ■' 

Control - 11 

State laws 1 - 

Eradication - 1-^ 

Hand labor l-l 

Cultivation 1-t 

Winter fallow 15 

Summer fallow 15 

Cultivation in cropn 1 ' 

Patented methods 17 

Use of chemicals 18 

Electricity 19 

Utilization of Johnson grass - - - 19 

Summarv 24 



ILLUSTRATIONS. 



Page. 

Platk I. Johnson grass in arass garden un grounds of United States Depart- 
ment of Agriculture, Washington, T>. C Frontispiece. 

Fig. 1. Johnson grass {Andrupogonhalepensis) 8 



JOHNSON GRASS: REPORT OF INVESTIGATIONS MADE 
DURING THE SEASON OF 1901. 

Bv Carleton R. Ball, Assistant Agrostolugisl. 



JOHNSON GRASS (Andropogon halepensis (L.) Brot.) 
DESCBIPTION. 

A stout, erect perennial grass, with rather broad leaves and a large 
panicle which is open at tlowering time. It produces great quantities 
of underground jointed stems known as rhizomes or rootstocks but 
popularly called "roots." It is closly related to the sorghums and 
resembles the ordinary sweet sorghum very much in its habit of 
growth, except that it is smaller and more slender. The ordinary 
height is about 5 or 6 feet, but in its ranker growth it sometimes 
reaches a height of fully 9 feet, with culms or stems nearly one-half 
inch in thickness at the base. It is a native of the Mediterranean 
region of Europe and Africa and also of southern Asia. 

ORIGIN AND DISTRIBUTION. 

Johnson grass was introduced into this country from Turkey about 
the year 1830— possibly a little later. It is said that Governor Means, 
of South Carolina, received a request from the Sultan of Turkey to 
send someone to the Ottoman Empire to instruct the Turks in the art 
of raising cotton. When the gentleman sent by Governor Means 
returned he brought with him from Turkey the seeds of a numljer of 
plants which were in cultivation there, and among them was the seed 
of the now famous Johnson grass. About the year 18-iO Col. William 
Johnson, the owner of a large plantation at Marion Junction, near 
Selma, Ala. , was on a visit to South Carolina, and on his return brought 
with him a quantity of Johnson grass seed which he sowed on his farm 
in the fertile bottom lands of the Alabama River. Colonel Johnson 
was the first planter to cultivate the grass in any great quantity and 
with great success, and it was from him that it received the name now 
most commonly used for it— Johnson grass. In South Carolina it was 
known as Means grass, from the name of the governor who was instru- 
mental in its introduction, and that name is still used for it occasionally. 
' • ' - 7 



JOHNSON GRASS. 



In later years it has been ver^' frequently referred to under the name 
of Guinea grass, but that name should be restricted to Panicum maxi- 
mum, a wideh' diflerent plant. It has also been called bj^ a great num- 
ber of other names at different times and in different parts of the 
country. Among these names are Aleppo grass, Alabama Guinea 
grass, Arabian millet, Australian millet, Cuba grass, Egyptian grass, 
Egyptian millet, Evergreen millet, False Guinea grass. Green Valley 
grass, Morocco millet, St. Mary's grass, and Syrian grass. Some of 

these names have been given 
to it in different localities 
where it has been grown, 
while others have been 
given to it purposely by 
seed dealers in order to 
create a demand for the 
seed of a supposedlj^ new 
grass. Man}' of these names 
refer to the places where it 
was supposed to have origi- 
nated. 

In the sixty years since it 
was introduced into Alaba- 
ma, Johnson grass has con- 
tinued its westward course 
until it is now found abun- 
dantly as far west as Texas, 
and in the river valleys and 
along irrigating ditches of 
New Mexico, Arizona, and 
California, extending along 
the cQast region to Oregon 
and Washington. As a 
luxuriant and profitable 
growth, Johnson grass is 
confined in the Southern 
States to the fertile alluvial 
soils of the river bottoms 
and the black prairie region. 
It is also found in the poorer sandy or clayey soils of the hills and the 
pine barrens, but in such regions its growth is less vigorous. Above 
the latitude of 37°, or about that of Tennessee, it is much less frequent, 
because it is subject to winter killing during the more severe winters, 
although it may persist for several years as far north as latitude 42^, 
or that of central Iowa and New York. In the drier regions of the 
Southwest it is found in the gi'eatest abundance along the irrigating 




Fig. 1. — Johnsou grass [Andropuijon halcpa 



DISSEMINATION. 9 

ditches, while on the Pacific coast it establishes itself very rapidly in the 
warm, moist, valley lands or in the drier parts along- the canals of the 
irrigation systems. 

DISSEMINATION. 

When we stop to consider that in sixty years from the time Johnson 
o-rass was first cultivated in this country it has spread from the original 
point of introduction over more than half the United States, we realize 
that it must either have had especial assistance in order to cover so 
large a territory or is a plant remarkably well adapted to the condi- 
tions obtaining throughout this great area. As a matter of fact, both 
of these points are true. As the seed was introduced into Alabama 
for the purpose of cultivation, so it has been carried or sent from 
Alabama westward to a large number of Southern States. Persons 
recognizing its great value as a hay and pasture grass have been 
anxious to secure seed, and wherever they have established their 
meadows, there they have established a new center of infection for 
surrounding districts. It is quite probable that the introduction of 
this grass into most of the States which it now occupies to a greater 
or less extent was accomplished in just this manner by persons eager 
to grow this new and highly praised grass. In most of the Southern 
States it is probable that at one time or another seeds were planted in 
many places widely separated from each other. On the other hand, 
it seems almost certain that from the comparatively few centers of 
infection, which were thus purposely established, the seed had been 
unintentionally and constantly scattered until in most of the Gulf 
States this grass may be found on almost every plantation. 

The principal and, in fact, almost the only means by which the plant 
is propagated is by the seed. This is produced in abundance, and is 
so well protected Ijy the hard and firm coverings that it is enabled to 
withstiind adverse climatic influences. One of the principal waj'S in 
which Johnson grass has been distributed so thoroughly is by means 
of the hay. It has been the custom of planters throughout almost the 
entire range of this grass to allow the seed to become ripe on the stem 
before cutting. The seed shatters very readily when ripe, and as the 
hay was hauled about the plantation to the points where it was to be 
fed or baled, and the baled hay carted about or carried on wagons to 
some shipping point, the ripe seed was scattered and an abundant 
stand of plants the next season was the inevitable result. 

Cattle, horses, and other farm stock running at large have been very 
instrumental in scattering Johnson grass over the plantations. Wher- 
ever cattle are grazing on this grass after the seeds are formed large 
numbers of seeds are eaten. By reason of their hard outer covering 
the ripe seeds pass unharmed through the digestive tract of the 
animals and pass out of the body ready to produce a vigorous growth. 



10 JOHNSON GRASS. 

Wherever the droppings from such animals are found there is always 
danger of a growth of Johnson grass. In the same manner the manure 
from stock fed in the stables or yards will be filled with live seeds, and 
wherever this manure is scattered as a fertilizer in the fields the result 
is sure to be a crop of the grass. 

The wind and several species of seed-eating birds also aid in scat- 
tering the seeds of this pest over the country, but the actual damage 
arising from this source is undoubtedly small. Floods also assist in 
the rapid and thoi'ough dissemination of the seeds. As before 
remarked, Johnson grass is found most abundanth- in the rich soil of 
river valleys. Ever}' time these streams overflow their banks as a 
result of heavy rains, large quantities of seeds are carried downstream 
by the high water and .scattered broadcast over plantations lying below. 

One of the most connuon ways in which the seeds are scattered is 
through the medium of seed oats. It has been found quite diflicult to 
separate the .seed of Johnson grass from the oat seed, and as where- 
ever oats are sown on land infected with Johnson grass ripe seeds of 
the latter are almost alwaj's harvested in the resulting oat crop, it will 
be seen how great the danger from this source really is. In this way 
the grass is carried not onh' from one plantation to another in the 
same neighborhood, but as the grain either for feed or seed is widely 
distributed the pest has been carried from one State or section to 
another. This has been especiallj^ true in the last few. j-ears. 

The varieties of oats ordinarilj^ raised in the South have been 
seriously injured j-ear after year by rust. Recently strong efforts 
have been made to secure a variety which should be practically rust 
proof. Such a variety has been grown in the State of Texas and has 
been widely .sold throughout the entire Gulf region under the name 
of Texas rust-proof oats. These oatt were largelj^ raised on land 
where Johnson grass was flourishing, and a lai'ge proportion of the 
grain contained the seed of Johnson grass. Wherever these oats have 
been sold Johnson grass has been introduced, and many plantations 
which had been kept scrupulously free from it for manj- years have 
been unwittingly seeded to this dreaded pest in this way. It has also 
been widelj- scattered along the rights of way of railroads. This has 
come to pass through the shipments of the baled ha}' from which the 
ripe seed has scattered along the track through the motion of the cars, 
and through the medium of stock cars in which this grass has been 
used for feed or for bedding the animals. 

Johnson grass is also disseminated by means of the undergi-ound 
stems or rhizomes, ^^'herever a plant is started from seed these 
strong creeping rhizomes are thrust out and the patch grows .slowly 
but .steadily larger each succeeding j-ear. Whenever a plow or other 
cultivating instrument passes through one of these patches fragments 
of the stems are freijuently dragged for some distance and there 



CONTROL. 1 1 

establish a new growth of the plant. Occasionallj' pieces of the 
stems become wedged iu the hoofs of cattle crossing plowed fields 
and are carried for some distance before coming free again, and whei"e 
thev lodge a new center of infection is established. 



In the consideration which has just been given to the methods by 
which Johnson grass spreads so rapidly it was found that the ripe 
seed was the important factor in dissemination. The question of con- 
trolling this pest, then, resolves itself direct!}' into the question of 
controlling the seed production of the grass. In short, the spreading 
of the grass would be almost completely checked if it were not allowed 
to produce seed. This ma}' look like a very serious problem, and yet 
there is little doubt that nine-tenths or more of the Johnson grass 
which is allowed to mature seed is in cultivated fields or in other 
places where it is easily accessible and where seed production could 
be pi"evented. At the same time it should be remembered that it is in 
these most accessible fields and patches of the grass that ripened seed 
does the greatest damage. Except on the comparatively few large 
plantations where Johnson grass is grown as a hay crop and where its 
cultivation has been carried on successful!}' for many years, the utmost 
carelessness prevails in allowing the plants to mature seed. In a great 
many meadows which are devoted entirely to this crop thorough cul- 
tivation or ^slowing of the ground is given only at such long intervals 
that the grass becomes much weakened. Where this is the case the 
resulting crop is very irregular and uneven in its growth. Some 
plants will put fortti flowers and ripen seed before others show any 
signs of doing so. The farmer who wishes to get the largest hay crop 
for his laljor delays his mowing until the first seeds have ripened and 
fallen or are ripe enough to scatter from the hay after it is cut. This 
method of harvesting the crop should be avoided. The meadow should 
be so handled that the crop will be developed almost uniformly, as 
is the case with a crop of wheat or oats, and the cutting could then be 
so timed as to prevent the ripening of seeds on even the earliest of the 
plants. It has been noted, especially in the States of Louisiana and 
Texas, that even where a good, vigorous growth of Johnson grass was 
to be made into hay the whole field was allowed to ripen its seed 
before the cutting took place. This policy is not to be approved, 
because of the dangers arising from the great quantities of seed thus 
produced and because the hay is practically worthless for feed when 
cut at that period of its growth. This point, however, is discussed at 
greater length in another place. 

Johnson grass growing along turn rows, fences, and roadsides should 
be mowed frequently to prevent the ripening of the seeds. In a great 
many instances, such as farms entirely inclosed by wire fences, a V)unch 



12 JOHNSON GRASS. 

of cattle can be used and the grass thus kept grazed during the grow- 
ing season. One State (Texas) has a law which deals with the seeding 
of Johnson grass on the rights of way of railroads. Such areas should 
be carefully looked after, and the production of seeds should not be 
allowed in any of the States where the grass is troublesome. There 
are, scattered about on pieces of land not in cultivation, small quan- 
tities of Johnson grass, and these are likely to ripen their seed unmo- 
lested unless they are grazed by cattle. The dangers arising from the 
scattering of seed from these struggling plants are, however, verv 
small compared with those threatened b}- the wholesale production of 
seed permitted in cultivated fields and meadows. It is to be under- 
stood that this prevention of seeding is not recommended as a means 
for killing the grass, but simply to check its rapid spread to land here- 
tofore unoccupied by it. No method of extermination is likely to 
prove successful so long as the area of infested ground is allowed to 
increase so rapidly from year to year. During the course of this inves- 
tigation a large number of representative and intelligent planters in 
the different States visited were asked if, in their opinion, it was not 
true that nine-tenths of the spread of Johnson grass into places where 
it is not wanted was due to carelessness in allowing seed to ripen freely. 
In every case the answer was in the affirmative. The State of Texas 
alone among the States troubled by Johnson grass has enacted laws 
dealing with the question. Copies of these statutes are here given 
verbatim : 

[H, B. No. 173, Twenty-fourth Texas legislature. 1895.] 

AN ACT to make it a penal offense for any person in thi.s State to unlawfully sow, scatter, or place on 
land not his own the seed or roots of Johnson grass or Russian thistles, or wilfully or knowingly 
sell or give away hay, straw, oats, or grain containing or intermixed with the seeds or roots of 
Johnson grass. 

Section 1. Be it enacted by the legislature of the State of Texas, That if any person 
in this State .shall knowingly, wilfully, and with intent to injure, sow, scatter, or 
place on any land not his own the seed or roots of Johnson grass or Russian thistle, 
or wilfully and knowingly sell or give away any oats, hay, straw, seed, or grain con- 
taining or intermixed with the seeds or roots of Johnson grass to anyone who is 
ignorant of the fact that such seeds or roots are so contained in or intermixed with 
such oats, hay, straw, seed, or grain, he shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, 
and on conviction thereof he shall be punished by fine of not less than twenty-five 
dollars and not more than one thousand dollars. 

Section 2. In prosecutions under the preceding article it shall not be necessary for 
the indictment to allege the name of the owner of the land, nor shall it be necessary 
for the State to prove the name of such owner, but it shall be sufficient to allege and 
prove that tlie land was not the property of the person accused. 

Section 3. The near approach of the close of the session of the legislature, and 
the crowded condition of the calendar, and the fact that it is improbable that this 
bill can be read on three .several days, create an emergency and imperative public 
necessity that the constitutional rule requiring l)ills to be read on three several days 
be suspended, and it is so enacted. 

Note. — This bill became a law without tlie signature of the governor. 



! 



ERADICATION. 13 

[H. B. No. 470, Twenty-seventh legislfiture of Texas. General Lnws, Twenty-seventh Legislature, 
pp. 283-284. 1901.] 

AN ACT to prohibit railroad and railway companies or corporations in this State from permitting 
Johnson grass or Russian thistles from going to seed upon their right of way, and fixing a penalty. 

Section 1. Be it enacted by the legislature of the State of Texas, It shall hereafter be 
unlawful for any railroad or railway company or corporation doing business in this 
State to permit any Johnson grass or Russian thistle to mature or go to seed upon 
any right of way owned, leased, or controlled by such railroad or railway company 
or corporation in this State. 

Section 2. If it shall appear upon the suit of any person owning, leasing, or con- 
trolling land contiguous to the right of way of any such railroad or railway company 
or corporation that said railroad or railway company or corporation has permitted 
any Johnson grass or Russian thistle to mature or go to seed upon their right of way, 
such person so suing shall recover from such railroad or railway company or corpo- 
ration the sum of twenty-five dollars, and any such additional sum as he may have 
been damaged by reason of such railroad or railway company or corporation permit- 
ting Johnson grass or Russian thistle to mature or go to seed upon their right of 
way: Provided, Any owner of land or any person controlling land contiguous to the 
right of way of any such railroad or railway company who permits any Johnson 
grass or Russian thistle to mature or go to seed upon said land shall have no right 
to recover from such railroad or railway company as provided for in this act. 

Note. — This act took effect April 9, 1901, thirty days after adjournment. 

The provisions of these laws are excellent, in spirit at least, but as 
with most other preventive and remedial legislation, their success- 
ful enforcement depends largely upon a strong public seutinient of 
approval. Until this sentiment is thoroughly aroused such laws are 
apt to be dead letters. This fact becomes strongly evident when one 
takes into consideration the large number of planters who cry out 
against this nuisance and jet are engaged in the raising of oats badly 
infected with Johnson grass. The mixed seeds of the two are largely 
sold in other States as pure seed oats in spite of legislation to the 
contrary. 

ERADICATION. 

A lai-ge number of planters who own land infested with Johnson 
grass are firm in the belief that it can not be killed under any circum- 
stances or by any methods. This may have been true in their own 
experience, and yet it is to be regretted that when the possibilities of 
ridding the land of this grass have been fully proved so many allow 
their prejudice to prevent their achieving similar desirable results. 
They are convinced that it can not be done, and so refuse to accept these 
evidences of successful work or to tiy it for themselves. There is no 
one method which can be recommended as certain to be successful 
under all conditions. Within the area of the United States now 
infested with Johnson grass there is too wide a variation in the condi- 
tions of heat and moisture and character of soil to allow of unvarjdng 
times and methods of culture. Therefore, in any method much must 
depend on the good judgment of the cultivator. There is no doubt, 



14 JOHNSON GRASS. 

however, that fields have been entirelj" freed from this pest. Instances 
have been found in almost every community. They are most common 
in those States where Johnson grass has been longest known and where 
the planters have become most familiar with it. In some cases these 
good results have been obtained under field conditions; in others suc- 
cessful results have been obtained where only small patches were 
concerned. In this latter case the means used would often not be 
practicable or economical if the work required was on a large scale. 
A very large number of methods for destroying Johnson grass have 
been advocated at difierent times and places. Many of these are 
worthless, having been advocated by those not very familiar with the 
plant, in its serious aspect, as a menace to crops. The conditions 
necessary to the destiaiction of this grass are simple, but to fulfill them 
all is a very difficult matter. To entirely' rid a piece of land of John- 
son grass requires that ever}" seed and plant be destroyed. The 
seeds in or on the soil must be made to germinate and the j'oung 
plants killed; all the old plants must be destroyed, and the complex 
"root" sj^stem must be either killed or so discouraged that it will cease 
to send up green sprouts, and so finallv starve to death. There are 
perhaps three general methods by which it is possible to accomplish 
these results. The first is by hand labor; the second by field culti- 
vation; the thii-d by the use of chemical substances. The first and 
second methods are frequently coml)ined. 

HAND LABOR. 

Hand labor is naturally slow, expensive, and utterly impossible on 
large areas. For small patches scattered about in fields or gardens or 
in situations where teams and machinerj' can not be used to destroy 
them, hand labor is most economical, having also the advantage of 
being usually more thorough and less dependent on external conditions 
than any other method. The plants are uprooted and all the stems 
to the last fragment removed from the soil, all being hauled away 
and burned to prevent their taking root again and doing further 
damage. The great diflicultj' of this method lies in reaching the depth 
necessary to find all the stems, and it is also always uncertain that 
everjroneof the small fragments has been removed from the soil; ])ut 
both must be done before there can be any assurance that the spot is 
free from danger of a new crop. The question of hand labor as a 
factor in destrojdng this grass will be considered in connection with 
certain patent methods. 

CULTIVATION. 

When it is desired to destroy Johnson grass by cultivation, there 
are a variety of methods that may be employed. The land may be 
fallowed in summer or in winter, or it may be worked in some crop. 



ERADICATION. 15 

A combination of two of tile^^e may be used. The purpose of culti- 
vating in summer fallow is to expose the underground stems to the 
heat of the sun; that of cultivating in the winter fallow to expose 
them to the action of frosts. 

WINTER FALLOW. 

The method of winter fallowing the land and frost killing the grass 
can be used in onh' a small part of the large Johnson grass region. 
The grass does not usually become very troublesome where the climate 
is cold enough to allow of killing the exposed stems by frost. There 
is, however, a considerable area in the northern part of the Johnson 
grass belt where this method will be cfuite successful in the average 
winter. The performance is quite simple and very effective. The 
field is plowed up in the late autumn to a depth of about 3 or 4, or 
even 5, inches, depending on the amount of frost that mav be expected. 
This soil is left exposed until the stems in the turned portion have 
been killed by the cold. The ground should then be plowed again, 
preferably crosswise to the first plowing. The second plowing should 
go to a greater depth than the first, in order to turn up a new layer of 
fresh, uninjured stems. By plowmg crosswise the second time any 
stems left deeply covered in the turned soil at the first plowing are 
more apt to be exposed, while anj^ cutting and covering done during 
the first operation would be unfailingly remedied by the second. 
Ordinarily two plowings would be sufficient for the purpose. No 
doubt some pieces of stems will survive even this treatment. Where 
the number is small and the patches scattered, it is best to dig them 
out by hand during the growing season. 

SUMMER FALLOW. 

The most uniformly successful method of destroying the grass is 
that of summer plowing fallow land. The field may be sown in the 
fall to some grain crop, to be taken off in the late spring. If the land 
is a meadow, one cutting of hay may be secured before the time for 
the destruction of the grass. The best time to commence the proc- 
ess of eradication varies. It must be done during the six weeks 
or two months when the longest period of hot, dry weather may 
be expected. This will be between the last of June and the fii'st 
of September ordinarily. It may, however, commence as early as 
June 1, or even in May, as was the case the past summer. If the 
grass is growing vigorously at the time the plowing is begun, the 
more surely will it be killed by the disturbance and exposure of its 
stems. If it is in a resting condition, any cultivation during the grow- 
ing season will serve onlj- to promote a more rapid growth unless the 
grass has been greatlj^ weakened by previous unfavorable conditions. 

At the first plowing the soil should be turned to a depth of 2 or 3 



16 JOHNSON GRASS. 

inches or a little more. This will depend upon the mechanical condi- 
tion of the soil and the quantitj' of stems present in it. If the soil is 
loose and open and the quantity of stems in it is not great enough to 
form a compact sod, the land may be safel}^ turned to a depth of over 
3 inches. If, however, the land is of a firm and tenacious character, 
turning up in clods or sods, or if the stems are abundant enough to 
produce this efi'ect, the plowing should be shallower. In any case the 
soil turned over must not be deeper than the sun will penetrate with 
killing power; otherwise that poi'tion of the stems buried most deeply 
by the turning will remain uninjured and will be stimulated to vigor- 
ous growth. This renders the labor of destruction more difficult than 
if a shallower stratum had been turned and all the stems included in it 
killed by the heat. In some cases it may be desirable to use a disk or 
acme harrow on the land immediatelj- after the first plowing, both in 
order to level the surface if it be clodded and to expose more of the 
disturbed stems than would otherwise be done. The field should then 
be allowed to remain undisturbed until the sun has had time to do its 
effective work and until a new growth has appeared from that portion 
of the stems below the level of the first plowing. 

When this growth has reached a height of about 5 inches, showing 
that the living rhizomes are again vigorous, the second plowing should 
be given. This should be done crosswise of the field, or at right angles 
to the first plowing, in order to certainh' remedy an\" cutting and cov- 
ering done during the first plowing. The second plowing should be 
about 2 inches deeper than the first if possible. This also will vary 
with the condition of the soil and the depth of the first plowing. The 
idea is to turn up a fresh layer of the underground stems to the action 
of the sun, and the same requirements as to the thickness of the layer 
of fresh stems thus turned should be observed. 

The success of this method of summer killing will be seen to depend 
very largely upon the length of time during which dry, hot weather is 
maintained. If a period of rain should set in after the first plowing 
has been done and before the stems exposed b}' the plowing are dead 
their vigor will be increased and the length of time necessary to kill 
them will be thus extended. In that event as many as three plowings 
might be necessary in order to complete the work of destruction. 
However, in most of the Johnson grass belt several weeks of fairly hot 
and dry weather may be confidently looked for during the summer. 

Where the soil is not too hard or lumpy a spring-toothed harrow 
may be used to drag the stems from the soil after plowing. They can 
then be collected and burned. Even under the most favorable condi- 
tions it is probable that some stems will escape destruction and pro- 
duce new growth when the rains commence. The importance of 
completely ridding the field of the grass can not be too strongly urged. 
The small scattered patches do not at first appear troublesome or dan- 



n 



ERADICATION. 17 

gerous. and too often they are neglected and allowed to quickl3' reseed 
the whole tield. A comparativelj' small amount of labor will clear 
them out to the last stems, and the desired result will thus be secured. 
If this is not done the good results of the repeated plowings are loat 
and tlu> field is soon as bad as evei-. 

CULTIVATION I.V mops. 

Many planters have testified that they have clcai'ed their fields of 
Johnson gi'ass without interrupting the ordinarj' system of ci'opping. 
In some instances this has been done in a single season. In others it 
has been accomplished only in from three to five years of labor. The 
crop raised is usually cotton, and the method always involves a large 
amount of hand labor. This method is expensive, and yet where it can 
be practiced the more thorough cultivation thus given is repaid bj' the 
increased j-ield of the crop. To be successful it must be entered into 
in no half-hearted way, as it always demands careful work and unre- 
laxed vigilance. At everj- plowing or cultivating of the land the stems 
exposed on the surface are removed from the field and destroyed. 
Plants persisting in the rows are dug out and destroved when the crop 
is hoed, and this constant warfare is repeated month after month and 
year after year, if necessary, until the land is free. 

PATENTKD METHODS. 

A Texas company has patented a cultural method of killing the grass. 
This method has been widely advertised and has been the subject of 
several inquiries received by this office from Texas planters. For 
these reasons a thorough investigation of the method was made. 

The process of this company is as follows: The ground is broken 
to a depth of about 3 inches some time during the winter. The 
broken ground is then pulverized with a harrow as deep as it was 
broken, for the purpose of breaking up the rootstocks and stimulat- 
ing an early and vigorous growth of the grass in the spring. The 
grass is then allowed to grow undisturbed until about the middle of 
April, when the land is agam l)roken and the green grass turned 
under. About one week after this second breaking the ground is 
again pulverized as deeply as plowed. The land, whether allowed to 
remain fallow or planted in cotton, is then cultivated from five to 
eight times during the sea.son. The intervals between the cultivations 
extend from a week to twenty days, depending upon the growth of 
the grass, which should be allowed to make a good, vigorous start 
between cultivations. Each cultivation should be made as deep as the 
land is mellow, which should be 6 or 8 inches after several cultivations, 
the purpose being to stimulate the grass to the greatest possible 
growth, and by nev^er allowing it to reach any considerable height its 
vitality will finally be exhausted and it will thus be killed. 
13843— No. 11—02 2 



1 



18 JOHNSON GRASS. 

If this method is used on fallow land it will be seen that a much 
greater amount of work is required than would be necessary- by the 
process of summer cultivation outlined above. It is also required 
that the work be done during- the spring and early summer when 
planters are usually very busy. If, instead, the land be cultivated in 
a cotton crop during these operations the fact that the land can be 
broken or cultivated in but one direction only rendei's the labor much 
more difficult. The plants which are growing in the cotton row are 
untouched by the frequent deep cidtivations and continue their growth 
unchecked. In order to exterminate the plants the slow and expen- 
sive method of digging them out bj^ hand must be emplo3'ed. If suc- 
cessfully done this method also endangers the life of the voung cotton 
plants. The principles on which this method of extermination are 
based are doubtless sound, but the successful working out of the method 
is always expensive. For this reason it is not likely to be adopted by 
any of the numerous renters who make up a large proportion of the 
agricultural population in all the Southern States. It must also be 
remembered that since this method has been patented it can not be 
used bj' any planter except by the consent and under the dii-ection of 
the patentee. The charge made by this company for directing their 
methods during the past season was $2 per acre. In return they guar- 
anteed that if directions were implicitly followed the grass would be 
exterminated. There is no doubt that the same amount of labor 
expended during the late hot summer could be much more cheaply per- 
formed and would be equalU^ successful. The payment of the bonus 
of f 2 per acre would not be required and the planter would take advan- 
tage of a season when his growing crops did not demand all his attention. 

I'SE OF CHEMICALS. 

A variety of chemical substances have been employed for destroy- 
ing Johnson grass. Among these are salt, kerosene, lime, bleaching 
powder, and some more complex mixtures, such as nitrate of soda and 
white arsenic or arsenious acid in water. A certain proportion of 
these last-named chemicals has been patented for this purpose. 

Common salt has frequently been used by planters for killing this 
grass. It is generally applied broadcast, but is sometimes used as a 
brine. So far as known, it has never been used on any large fields of 
the grass, but commonly only on small patches, in gardens, etc. The 
effect of salt, when used in definitely known quantities, has not been 
determined, because on the small patches no record is usually kept of 
the amount actually used or of the size of the patch. It is quite certain 
that in such cases a larger amount per acre is used than could be prof- 
itabU' applied in large areas. There is also considerable uncertainty 
as to the actual value of salt in any quantity. Some planters have 
reported that when applied in a layer 2 inches deep on the surface of 



UTILIZATION'. 19 

the ground the g-rass was kilh^d. Others report results directly oppo- 
site. Wherever it is applied in the dry forui there is always danger of 
much of it being washed away if the first succeeding rain happens to 
be heavy. The ettect of salt upon the roots beneath the surface is 
entirely lost unless it is carried into the ground. It can not be recom- 
mended as an efl'ective agent for field use. 

Kerosene has been used in about the same way as salt. Its value as 
a destroying agent is doubtful. Mr. David Williams, of Washington, 
Tex., reported using about 1 gallon on a patch 6 feet square with 
perfect success. No Johnson grass appeared in the two years follow- 
ing. The oil used in this case was probably refined oil, which is 
expensive. Since the discovery and opening of the great oil fields in 
southern Texas, crude oil can be secured at a much lower rate than the 
refined article, and it would probably be quite as effective for killing 
vegetable growth as the I'efined oil. It would, however, be much 
more difficult to applj' the crude oil on account of its thicker consist- 
ency, but for this same reason it would not be as easily washed from 
the soil. 

Chloride of lime or bleaching powder has also been recommended 
for this use, but its value has not been definitely proved. The 
.solution of vrhite arsenic and nitrate of soda, referred to above, was 
patented in 1898 by Mr. William A. Chapman, of Cleburne, Tex., and 
is made and used in the following manner: One pound of white 
ar.senic is introduced into 6 gallons of water and boiled until the 
arsenic is dissolved. The mixture is then completely cooled and 1 
pound of nitrate of soda is dissolved in it. The addition of the nitrate 
of soda is for the purpose of holding the ar.senic in solution, as other- 
wise it would recrystallize in the water and a repeated boiling would be 
necessary each time it was desired to use the solution. The poisonous 
element is the arsenic. It is intended to apply this liquid with a 
■sprinkling pot, and one or perhaps two applications are recommended. 
No further information as to this patent compound has been secured. 

ELECTRICITY. 

Electricity^ has frequently been advocated as a sure method for 
eradicating all vegetable pests. A few j^ears ago it was reported that 
a company was being organized in Fresno, Cal., to utilize this method, 
but nothing further has been heard of it. Electricity can not be 
satisfactorily and economically used until different and less expensive 
methods of applying it are discovered. 

UTILIZATION' OF .TOHX.SQX GRA.SS. 

So great an evil has Johnson grass become in the grain fields and 
cotton plantations that many planters and others have become violently 



20 JOHNSON GRASS. 

prejudiced against it. They refuse even to listen to the suggestion that 
it makes a valuable and nutritious hay, and wish to hear of nothing 
but its complete and rapid extermination. Nevertheless, the fact 
remains that in the States of Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi, 
where the grass has been long established, manv hay farms of several 
hundred acres each now exist and have existed for years. On some of 
these, as for instance those in the Alabama Valley in the vicinity of 
Montgomery and Sehua, or in the famous Delta of Mississippi near 
the Yazoo River, the production of Johnson-grass hay has been found 
very protita))le on lands which rarely produce less than a bale or a 
bale and a half of cotton per acre. Of course, on these rich lands the 
yield per cutting and the number of cuttings obtained in a single 
season will, as a general rule, be greater than on poorer soils. At the 
same time, the profit from any crop is less on poorer soils than on the 
richer, so that under these conditions Johnson grass at the prices of 
ha\' for the past few years is a profitable hay crop throughout the 
Southern States. It has advantages over several of the commercial 
crops which can be raised in those States. In the lirst place, a meadow 
can be very easily set in Johnson grass if that be desirable. On many 
plantations, however, good meadows, or what would quickly make 
good meadows if permitted, have already been formed, and the growth 
is vigorous, luxuriant, and long continued. The j'ield is large, and 
the quality of the hay when cut at the proper time is not exceeded by 
any other hay on the market, although this may sound like a strong 
statement. Of course, Bermuda hay is liner and probablj' yields more 
food, ton for ton, but the yield per acre is not usualh' as large, while 
the labor of cutting and curing is greater, and the haj' is so tine that 
considerable of it is wasted in feeding. In most markets where 
Johnson-grass hay comes into competition with other hays it does not 
sell for as high a price, it is true, but this is due to several causes, 
chief among" which is probably the fact that the hay has not been of 
first quality because of having been allowed to become mature and 
woody before cutting. There is also a strong prejudice against it, 
because so much of it contains ripe seed which the users are afraid of 
introducing into fields. 

There have been many inquiries concerning the nutritive value of 
Johnson grass, and two tables of chemical analyses are given to show 
this value. Table I, adapted from Bulletin No. 20 of the Texas Agri- 
cultural Experiment Station, shows the composition of the grass at 
difl'erent stages of growth. The amount of water is first calculated 
and then the percentage of the ingredients in the dry material. The 
carbohydrates and albuminoids of this table are the same as the nitrogen- 
free extract and the protein, respectively, of the second table. The 
total nitrogen given in the third line from the bottom is the amount 



UTILIZATION. 



21 



of that substance in the albuminoids or protein, and is the sum of 

the albuminoid and amid nitrogen given in the last two lines of the 

table. 

Table I. 



Time when cut and state of growth. 



April 2— 

6 inches 

high. 



April 10— 
8 to 10 
inches 
high. 



April 21- 
12 to 18 
inches 
high. 



April 29- 
18 to 30 
inches 
high. 



Ma.v 7- 
.seed in 
dough 



May 18— 

.seed 
mature. 



Water 

.\sh 

Ether extracts (fats)". 

Crude fiber 

Carbohydrates 

.\lbuminoids 

Total nitrogen 

Albuminoid nitrogen . 
.\mid nitrogen 



81.06 
11.24 

5.59 
21.65 
46.2 
15.42 

2. 78 



■Per cent. 
77.44 
11.62 

8.60 
18.74 
41.5 
19.54 

3.12 



Per cent. 
86.09 
11.68 
8.10 
24.56 
32.41 
23. 25 
3.73 
2.73 
1.00 



Per cent. 
80.9 
10. 38 
6.52 
25.29 
43.75 
14.06 
2.25 
1.96 
.29 



7.98 
4.11 
33.32 
45.15 
9.44 
1.51 
1.34 
.17 



Per cent. 
69.33 
6.36 
4.07 
33.66 
46.10 
9.81 
1.57 
1.40 
.17 



* The ether extract in this and in the analyses of the other gras.'^es, especially in the younger plants, 
represents more than the true fats, owing to the large amount of coloring matter removed. 

It should be remembered that only a large series of analyses at dif- 
ferent stages can show conclusively at what period the gra.ss has the 
highest nutritive value. This may differ from the time when it has 
the highest feeding value to the farmer. To him the time when the 
grass gives the largest yield mast also be taken into consideration. 
This may not be exactly the time when its nutritive value is highest. 
The time for cutting Johnson gra.ss, as above stated, is when just in 
flower or a little earlier than the " dough" stage of Table I. It will 
be noted that the percentage of water and ash or mineral matter in the 
table gradually decreases as the plant gets older. The carbohydrates 
are about the same at both ends of the test. The valuable albuminoid 
or muscle-making material is greatest when the plant was 12 to 18 
inches high, after which it decrea.ses rapidly, while the crude fiber 
increases with the age of the grass. From this table Johnson grass 
would appear to have the greatest nutritive value when about 20 inches 
high or perhaps a little more, but of course the yield at this period 
would be considerabljr less than when the grass is in flower. Larger 
series of analyses would be very helpful in more accurately determin- 
ing just when the grass should be cut. 

Table II contains comparative analyses of timothy, redtop, Johnson 
grass, and red clover hays. The figures for timothy are the average 
of 68 analyses; for redtop, the average of 9 analyses; for red clover, 
38 analyses; and for Johnson grass, 3 analyses of air-dried hay and 7 
analyses of the water-free substance. 



22 



JOHNSON GRASS. 
Table II. 



Kind of forage. 


Fresh or air-dry substance. 


Water-free substance. 


Water. 


Ash. 


Crude 
pro- 
tein. 


Fiber. 


Nitro- 
gen- 
free 

tract. 


Ether 
ex- 
tract. 


Ash. 


Crude 
pro- 
tein. 


Fiber. 


Nitro- 

Iree 
ex- 
tract. 


Ether 
ex- 
tract. 


Timothy hay 


13.2 
8.9 
10.30 
15.3 


4.4 
5.2 
6.77 
6.2 


5.9 
7.9 
7.30 
12.3 


29.0 
28.6 
■29.34 
24.8 


45.0 
47.4 
44.12 
38.1 


2.5 
1.9 
2.16 
3.3 


5.1 

5.7 
6.62 
7.3 


6.8 
8.7 
6.44 
14.5 


33.5 
31.4 
34.22 
29.1 


51.7 
52.1 
50.89 
45.2 


2.9 
2.1 
1.96 
3.9 


Johnson grass hay. . . 
Red clover hay 



From this table we see that an analysis of three samples of Johnson 
grass shows it to contain very nearlj' as much protein as redtop hay, 
and considerably more than timothj' hay, the ligures being 7.3 per 
cent, 7.9 per cent, and 5.9 per cent, respectively. None of them con- 
tain as much as the rich red clover. In the water-free substance, 
however, the Johnson grass shows a little less protein than either of 
the other grasses; in fat, too, it averages a little lower. The amounts 
of fiber and nitrogen-free extract do not difi'er enough from those of 
timothy and redtop to deserve special mention. When we consider 
that Johnson gra.ss yields much heavier than either timoth}' or redtop, 
and that it is nearly equal to these in feeding value, we realize that it 
is an exceedingly valuable haj' grass for the Southern States. 

It must not be forgotten that in order to properly' produce this hay 
intelligent care and cultivation of the meadow is necessary. Any 
idea that a meadow once set may be cropped indefinitely without 
further treatment must be abandoned at once. To secure the best 
results, both in quality and quantity of forage, the meadow should be 
broken up at least eveiy second j^ear. If this thorough plowing is 
delayed longer than the third year the growth of the grass is greatly 
weakened by the crowding of the growing rootstocks or underground 
stems and the consequent checking of the growth of the grass. The 
meadow should be given a thorough plowing to a depth of several 
inches, and the land should then be harrowed until smooth in order to 
present a good surface for mowing. There need be no fear of 
destroying the meadow if this plowing is done in the spring, or in the 
fall where there is little danger fi-om winter frosts. The vigor of the 
plants is greatly increased by this thorough breaking up of the matted 
stems, and the following crop will be even and luxuriant in growth. 

The grass should be cut when the flower heads have begun to open. 
If cut at this time the hay made from it will be of the finest quality 
and there will be no danger from ripened seed. The j'ield may not 
be quite as large per acre, l)ut the quality will be better, and the grass 
will renew its growth more rapidly. 

Some of the most successful planters in the Johnson grass region 



UTILIZATION. 28 

make a prat-tice of sowinor some other crop on the meadow when 
they break it up. Oats may be sown, and an early .spring crop of 
good oat hay be thus secured. Thi.s crop will contain some Johnson 
grass, but not much. The second cutting will be earlier if following 
an oat crop than if the grass be allowed to grow alone. Another 
practice which serves two good purposes is the sowing of cowpeas in 
the Johnson grass meadow when it is broken. This may be done at 
any time during the spring or early summer. The cowpeas will not 
only furnish excellent hay, which combines well with the Johnson 
grass hay as a feeding ration, but, as is well known, they also help to 
restore the fertility of the soil. Such a .sowing is therefore especially 
desirable wherever meadows are established on the poorer soils. If 
the growth of John.son grass is more rapid than that of the pea vines, 
and there is dangei of the latter being choked out by the vigorous 
grass, the mowers should be run over the meadow with the bar raised 
high enough to cut the tops of the Johnson grass without injuring 
the pea vines. 

Johnson grass is not of especial value as a pasture grass. Its growth 
does not begin until rather late in the spring and does not last after 
the first heavy frost of autumn. Throughout its range, however, it is 
grazed to quite a large extent during the summer and affords an 
abundant and nutritious pasturage. This is especially true in moist 
or irrigated soils where its summer growth is not checked by drought. 
All kinds of farm stock graze it well and thrive upon it. There is 
a rather widely prevalent idea that it can be killed by pasturing. The 
growth of the grass is much checked and weakened by close pasturing, 
especially if continued for several years in succession. This is due 
not so much to trampling and grazing as to the close crowding and 
matting of the stems in the soil, thus literally choking the grass out. 
The remedy for this is to break up the land every third or fourth 
j'ear, thus giving the stems a new and vigorous impulse to growth. 

A few cases of cattle having been poisoned by grazing Johnson grass 
have been reported. These reports have been noted only through the 
papers, none having been made directly to this Department. Authen- 
tic details are rarely given in such cases, and very little weight can 
be given to these rumors. Since Johnson grass is closely related to 
sorghum, which is known to be poisonous under some circumstances, 
it would not be surprising if Johnson grass should also be poisonous 
under like conditions. • Investigations have been conducted for sev- 
eral years to determine the cause of sorghum poisoning, but as yet 
without conclusive results. Neither sorghum nor Johnson grass is 
likely to be abandoned as a stock food, however, because of the 
infrequent danger from poisoning. In comparison with the great 
number of cattle fed or pastured on Johnson grass the reported cases 
of poisoning are extremely rare. 



24 JOHNSON GRASS. 



SUlvnUART. 



Johnson grass is a tall, vigorous grass, closely related to the sor- 
ghunifs. with a very strong s_ystem of long, jointed, undergi-ound stems, 
popularly known as roots. Each joint of this underground stem is 
capable of producing a new plant. 

It is a native of the tropics of the Old World, and was first introduced 
into this country as a hay grass in South Carolina about sixtj' years 
ago. 

It has spread rapidly throughout the entire south to the Pacific coast 
and thence north to British Columbia. It thrives best in rich, moist, 
alluvial or irrigated soil, where it is also most difficult to eradicate. 

It is commonly spread by means of its seeds. They are widely scat- 
tered from hay cut after the seed has matured, and are often planted 
with seed oats. The seeds are unharmed by passing through the 
digestive tract of animals, and are thus widelj' scattered in manure. 

The grass should nev'er be allowed to ripen its seeds in meadows, 
fields, or along roads, fences, or railways. 

It can be destroj'cd by hand labor — digging out the underground 
stems. 

Under field conditions it is best killed by plowing fallow land during 
hot, dr}' weather. The stems are thus exposed to the heat of the sun 
and soon killed. The same result follows the action of severe frosts. 

It can also be killed during the cultivation of a cotton crop by much 
extra hand labor. 

Various chemical substances have been tried but none have thus far 
proved successful and economical. 

Johnson grass makes a verj^ good quality of hay when cut while 
just in flower, and it may be profitably cultivated throughout the 
South for this purpose. Meadows should be broken up at least ever}' 
third year to loosen the matted stems. It is not necessary to reseed 
meadows when thus ti'eated. 

Cow peas maj' be sown in the grass when it is broken in the spring. 
When broken in the fall, oats may be used with it. It affords good 
pasture during summer when treated in the same way as meadows. 



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